The Wolf Who Played With Fire: New Adult Paranormal Romance (Cry Wolf) (17 page)

The werewolves who’d crammed into the room to watch had been impressed, even if I had been afraid that Jessa might lose her nerves with them all watching. But she was a much stronger witch than me because her concentration was impenetrable.

“Hi, babe,” Ethan said, his voice hoarse. He started to sit up on the bed, but I put my hand on his shoulder.

“Hey, honey. How are you feeling?” I leaned in, placing a chaste kiss to his lips. While he’d recovered last night, I slept at his side. If the ritual hadn’t drained me, I would’ve been watching over him. I’m pretty sure I had dark circles under my eyes and my hair was sticking out in all directions.

He opened his mouth to respond but he coughed instead, unable to get the words out.

Chad walked into the room with a cup of water and a straw in his hand. I didn’t like being in Werewolf Central, but he’d been a good helper. So much so, that I almost wondered if he’d had more of the agreeability potion.

I helped Ethan take a few sips of water then set it aside, brushing my hand over his short dark hair before he tried to speak again.

“I feel like I got shot in the chest, but I’ll live.” He wrapped his arm around my waist pulling me close, as Chad settle into a chair on the opposite side of the bed from where I sat. “Why didn’t I go to a hospital?”

“You’re too close to turning into a werewolf. Besides, the doctors wouldn’t have been able to save you, unlike your girlfriend and her friend.” Chad looked in my direction. “Maybe the witches aren’t enemies of the Pack after all.”

“Thank you, babe.” The hard look in Ethan’s eyes softened as he met my gaze. “Where was everyone last night?” he asked Chad, sitting up again. This time he shrugged off my attempt to hold him down. “I followed the scent and went to the cars, but no one else was there. Mia was left alone.”

Chad grimaced and looked away from him, turning his gaze to the open window. “Several of the prisoners were determined to seek revenge. They burnt the research facility down. We needed to make sure they didn’t get hurt, so most of us assisted them.”

Ethan clenched his jaw, obviously not pleased with that answer. “I need to get home. My roommate might be worried, and I need to call work to explain my absence.” He nudged me aside, then pushed himself out of bed. He swayed on his feet and I rushed to his side, helping him stay upright.

“You should lie down and rest. Don’t worry about that. I can call Nolan, and you don’t have to go home to call work.” I frowned, not wanting him to push himself too hard. While I was pretty sure the magic had been successful, the image of him fading away in my arms still squeezed at my chest. The idea of not being with him to see if he was okay sent my pulse skyrocketing.

“Listen to her. She knows what she’s talking about,” Chad said, and coming from him that was a compliment of the highest order.

I couldn’t suppress the smile springing to my lips.

“I need to get home and make sure Nolan knows I’m fine. The full moon is rising tonight, and my shift into the supernatural world will be complete. I want normalcy before being drawn into that.” Ethan pulled me into his arms, but his words still hurt. “Besides, we have something to tell him and your parents. If we can survive me getting shot, we’ll survive their reactions.”

“You shouldn’t go too far, Ethan. Not with tonight being your first shift.” Chad rose from the chair. “You’ll need assistance, and we have plenty of room to run wild here.” He turned to me. “You might not want to be here. It’s not for the faint of heart. I’ll be back later.” He tilted his head, then walked out of the room.

“Are you sure about telling my family?” I met Ethan’s gaze. My heart sang in happiness, even if a shiver of fear spread through me. “Especially Nolan? What if he takes things badly?”

“Our relationship might change once I truly become a werewolf tonight. But I believe in us enough to spread the word. No more tiptoeing around your family.” He locked his eyes with mine, a knowing look buried in their depths. “We deserve better than that, for better or for worse. Nolan will have to come to terms with the news.”

“We can’t hide forever,” I said, my voice cracking from the mixture of emotions brewing within me. “Not from those closest to us.”

“Not anymore, babe.” He leaned in, pressing a kiss to my lips, before tugging me backward onto the bed. I couldn’t believe he was ready for intimacy after all he’d been through, but then something I’d read in Jessa’s werewolf book came back to mind: werewolves were like sex fiends during the full moon.

I only hoped I’d be able to keep up with him…

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Thank you for reading
The Wolf Who Played With Fire
! After writing
Cold Moon Rising
, the plot for this book unfolded in my head piece by piece beckoning me to dive into it. I absolutely enjoyed continuing Mia and Ethan’s journey while getting a glimpse at Kelly and Jacob from the outside. Don’t fret though since I’ll pick back up with Kelly and Jacob. Their story is just beginning.

One of the things I love about this series is it’s a lot of fun to write and I love revisiting the characters as well as meeting new ones. The books come together almost effortlessly, which hasn’t been the case in the past with other series I’ve written. If you have a favorite couple you’d love to see in future books, let me know through Facebook or contact me through my website!

I hope you’ve loved this short novel as much as I do. If you did, please consider leaving a review at the retailer’s website or even on Goodreads. Also, if you’re interested learning more about my books, sign up for my newsletter and connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sarah Mäkelä loves her fiction dark, magical, and passionate. She is a paranormal romance author, but she's written all over the romance spectrum with cyberpunk, sci-fi, fantasy, urban fantasy...even a sweet contemporary romance!

A life-long paranormal fan, she still sleeps with a night light. In her spare time, she reads sexy books, watches scary movies (and Ghost Adventures), and plays computer games with her husband. When she gets the chance, she loves traveling the world too.

OTHER BOOKS BY SARAH M
ÄKELÄ

Cry Wolf Series
(New Adult Paranormal Romance)

The Witch Who Cried Wolf
(Cry Wolf #1)

Cold Moon Rising
(Cry Wolf #1.5)

The Wolf Who Played With Fire
(Cry Wolf #2)

The Amazon Chronicles Series
(Paranormal Romance)

The Amazon Chronicles Collection

EXCERPT FOR
THE WITCH WHO CRIED WOLF

CHAPTER ONE

Mia

Jessa’s New Age shop—Eternally Magick—was empty. Usually, Jessa was around. But, right now, she wasn’t. I leaned against the front counter, resting my forehead against the cool glass. Athames, crystals, jewelry and really cute dragon statues were locked in the case beneath my fingertips. While I enjoyed hanging out at the shop and seeing what new potions were available, I wished Jessa had given me some kind of clue as to why she wanted me here. But she was my best friend and mentor; the reason had to be important, if for nothing else to spend much needed time together.

I glanced over my shoulder at the wall of ingredients lining the shelves, ripe for the picking. It had been a while since I’d made a new potion. Maybe if I could stock up on a few things...

“Not what you’re here for,” I whispered to myself. The urge to see what she had nearly drove me away from the counter, but I held myself in check.

Making potions was one of my hobbies. I loved the creativity and excitement that went into building something from nothing, and the brief connection with my power.

Tapping my fingers on the counter, I stared at the curtained-off backroom. Worry crept into my chest. Why wasn’t Jessa here? She never stood me up. This wasn’t like her.

“Jessa?” Usually she came right out when the bells on the door chimed. Biting my lower lip, I considered going into the back. Someone could steal things without her keeping an eye on the store.

“Coming,” Jessa called. The black-haired and blue-eyed beauty swept into the front of the store like a hurricane of flowing skirts. She always looked like she’d just come from a Renaissance faire.

I loved the way she dressed, but I knew that style would never be my thing. My parents would think I’d flipped my lid, and my older brother....
Shudder
. Nolan would laugh at me, probably joking with his best friend—and my crush since forever—Ethan Parker.

“Where have you been? I was getting concerned.” Stepping around the counter, I wrapped my arms around her and she embraced me in a hug smelling of lavender and honey.

“Just in the back. I had to wrap up a call and I guess I didn’t hear you come in.” Jessa smiled, but something was up. She appeared a bit too eager to pretend everything was fine.

“What’s going on? Are you okay?” I placed my hand on her shoulder, trying to be comforting.

The door chimed, and we turned in unison toward the shop’s new arrival.

I blinked in surprise.

The man towered in the doorway, over six feet of pure muscle. If his shirt were a little tighter, I probably would’ve been able to see six-pack abs through it. What was he doing here?

He strode in as if he owned the place. There could be no doubt: ladies would drop their panties at his command. If I didn’t have a boyfriend....
Stop it, Mia!

“I’m looking for the owner,” the man said, his deep voice as smooth and sinful as his looks. Yet beneath his delicious exterior, something about him put me on edge. The hint of arrogance in his eyes and the sharp flare of power as he walked in the room were instant triggers. This guy wasn’t a mere mortal. He was something else, but I couldn’t put my finger on what. Aside from Jessa, I’d never met anyone else with this level of power.

Maybe I needed to get out more.

Jessa cleared her throat, as captivated by him as I was by the sound of it. “I’m the owner.” Her voice hit all the sultry tones and she swayed her shoulders. “Can I help you?” I wished I could pull her aside and tell her my feelings, but that would look way too awkward.

“We spoke over the phone. I’m interested in the potion.” He leaned his hip against the counter, standing only a couple feet away. Too close for comfort.

Since Jessa had business to take care of, I sidestepped toward the wall of ingredients, but Jessa grabbed my wrist, keeping me beside her. I cast her a dirty look, but she didn’t pay me any attention, focusing her gaze instead on Mr. Way-Too-Sexy.

“Right, I don’t have any of that in right now, but this woman makes some of the best healing salves I’ve seen.” Jessa nudged me forward, nearly throwing me into Mr. Sexy’s arms.

Glancing up his body to his eyes from so close strained my neck. My five-foot-six frame probably looked tiny beside him. An overwhelming sense of lust and intimidation washed over me.

“Hi.” I fought against a shiver.

Mr. Sexy’s lips twitched. “The potion? Or...salve? Can you help me, or not?”

I looked behind me, noticing how Jessa was ‘busy’ tidying a few shelves that were perfectly fine. A small smirk tugged at her lips.

“Sure, I can help. What exactly do you need?” Healing potions? This was great, just great. He didn’t even know what he needed, nor did he know the differences between potions, salves or poultices. Not that many people outside of the metaphysical community did, but that wasn’t my fault. Besides, there were plenty of ways to do them. It didn’t help to say healing potion. I knew some concoctions that cured the flu, helped with burns, even helped with migraines.

The man cocked an eyebrow at me as if I was stupid. “A...healing salve. Are you serious? I’ve told you what I need.”

Jessa placed her hand on my shoulder. “What she means is, what does it need to do?” She pursed her lips, running her gaze over the man. “On the phone, you said that someone you know had some kind of...poisoning?”

While I enjoyed making potions and other healing remedies, I couldn’t help but wonder why this guy wasn’t taking his friend to a hospital or doctor instead.

Mr. Sexy scratched the back of his neck, causing his shirt to lift. My gaze skimmed his navel and part of the defined six-pack I’d known was hiding there. Somehow, knowing how hot he was under his shirt calmed my nerves a little. Surely, he was fine.

Maybe it’d just been a long time since I’d met a nice looking guy who wasn’t a jerk, and didn’t just storm off to join the military when I needed him. But...I was so not going to think about Ethan right now.

“Right. Not food poisoning. Lead poisoning.” Something flickered in his eyes. What was he hiding? “My friend was injured when the metal got into his system, so if there’s something you could put in to help with that, too.”